How can I recover a deleted tax return?

Only the online returns can not be deleted or erased.  Returns done in the Desktop program are only on your computer and can be deleted.  

Are you on Windows?

Your tax return file ends in .tax2019, .tax2020, .tax2021 etc.  Search your computer for it.  Check the Recycle Bin or Trash.  Check in One Drive, etc.  it should be in your Documents then in the Turbo Tax folder.  Check your backups.  Also if you have multiple Windows user accounts, log into each one and do the search for the *.tax2021 data file from within each one and checking the Recycle Bin in each one.

If you don't have the main .tax file you might have one that starts with a Tilde sign ~ like  "~your name.tax2021".  That file is if your computer crashes or your real file gets lost or deleted or corrupt so you can restore it.

How to show the file extension in Windows

https://www.howtogeek.com/205086/beginner-how-to-make-windows-show-file-extensions/

@Dodge_bob   You need the file ending .tax2020 to transfer into the program.  Or .tax2021 to OPEN in the program.    What are you trying to do?  Transfer or Open?  Where did you prepare the file?  Are you trying to move from the Online version to the Desktop program?  You need to download the .tax2021 file/

The tax files (and PDF files) should be in your Documents then in a Turbo Tax subfolder. If you can't find them do a search for all files ending in .tax or .tax2020 or .tax2019, etc. And check the Recycle Bin. For Windows 10 check the One Drive. Did you make any backups? Like DropBox.

If you don't have the main .tax file you might have one that starts with a Tilde sign ~ like "~your name.tax2020". That file is if your computer crashes or your real file gets lost or deleted or corrupt so you can restore it.

Find your Tax file in Windows
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-data-file/help/find-your-tax-data-file-tax-file-in-windows/00/25926

Please see this Turbo Tax help article. View the links at the bottom of the page.

How do I open my tax return in the TurboTax software I installed?
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/accessing/help/how-do-i-open-my-tax-return-in-the-turbotax-software-i-installed/00/26085

@IRISH39

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@reb4664 wrote:

i can not find my 2021 return

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To access your current or prior year online tax returns sign onto the TurboTax website with the User ID you used to create the account - https://myturbotax.intuit.com/

Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and on the section Your tax returns & documents click on Show.  Click on the Year and Click on Download/print return (PDF)

Or -

When you sign onto your online account and land on the Tax Home web page, scroll down and click on Add a state. 

This will take you back to the 2021 online tax return.

Click on Tax Tools on the left side of the online program screen.  Then click on Print Center.  Then click on Print, save or preview this year's return.  Choose the option Include government and TurboTax worksheets

If you used the desktop CD/Download editions installed on your computer, the only copy of your tax data file and any PDF's will be on the computer where the return was created.  TurboTax does not store online any returns completed using the desktop editions.

@Bennybenbenben Did you use online TurboTax software or did you use the  CD/download?   If you used the CD/download then the tax file is only stored on your own hard drive; it is not stored online.

 If you cannot recover the file due to a hard drive failure, etc. you can get a free transcript from the IRS or for a fee of $43, an actual copy of your tax return.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf

  You have to access your own account and/or  print it for yourself using exactly the same account and user ID that you used when you prepared the return.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/prior-year-return/help/how-do-i-access-my-prior-year-return/01/27010

Many people have multiple TT accounts and forget how to access them.  Log out of the account you are in now.

Account recovery

https://myturbotax.intuit.com/account-recovery/

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901535-forgot-your-turbotax-online-user-id-or-password

Or did you use the desktop version of TurboTax?  If so, the files are on your own hard drive or any backup device you used like a flash drive.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901486-how-many-turbotax-accounts-do-i-have

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901535

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901659-find-your-tax-data-file-in-mac

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900721-find-your-tax-data-file-tax-file-in-windows

To get a copy of your previously filed returns prepared with online TurboTax https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900748-how-do-i-get-a-copy-of-a-return-i-filed-in-turbotax-online

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900748-how-do-i-get-a-copy-of-a-return-i-filed-this-year-in-turbotax-online

@frank simo  Did you use the Desktop CD/Download program or the Online version?  You need the file ending in .tax2021 or the pdf file.  Did you search your whole computer for the files?  

If you used the Online version.  How to Access prior year online returns
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/prior-year-return/help/how-do-i-access-my-prior-year-return/00/27010

If you can't get the side menus to open up to access the prior year..... You need to start entering some basic Personal Info in 2022 for the side menu to open up. Just continue a little ways into 2022. I had to go though about 12 screens.

If you used the Desktop CD/Download program then the only copy is on your computer and not saved or stored online. So you need to make and keep your own backups.

Or request a transcript from the IRS
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript